advance tickets for the Vatican needed?

[enymarsh]

Can you just go or are there too many people???  Should we reserve "tickets"?

[MeHeartCruising]

Are you referring to the Vatican Museums or to St. Peter's Basilica?  For the Basilica, I don't think you need an advance ticket and I'm not sure they even offer them.

 

For the Museums, you really do want to get a timed entry ticket in advance.  When we walked from the square to the Museum entryway for our timed entry, the line waiting to buy tickets for entry was maybe 1/4 mile long, if not more.  Hundreds and hundreds of people.  We walked and walked along the line not really knowing if we needed to get in that line or not.  Once we got to the front, we saw that our line had maybe 10 people in it for those that had purchased in advance.

[euro cruiser]

There are no tickets to enter St. Peter's Basilica and no fee, but everyone must wait in the security line and be cleared to enter.  Note that there is a dress code.

 

It would be crazy to show up at the museums without a ticket, the line to purchase same day tickets has always (in the 20+ years of my experience in Rome, at least once but often twice each year until Covid) been long.

[enymarsh]

many thanks for these quick replies!!!

[IndyCapt]

How much time should we allow for seeing St Peter’s Basilica and the museums at the Vatican?

[marazul]

6 minutes ago, IndyCapt said:

How much time should we allow for seeing St Peter’s Basilica and the museums at the Vatican?

Minimum:

Vatican museums - 2 hours

St. Peter's - 1 hour

This doesn't include waiting time to get in.

[IndyCapt]

16 minutes ago, marazul said:

Minimum:

Vatican museums - 2 hours

St. Peter's - 1 hour

This doesn't include waiting time to get in.

Thanks!

If we’re going mid October, how soon should we be getting our museum tickets online?

[marazul]

No big hurry for October. A couple of months ahead of time.  Or as soon as all your plans are set for everything you want to do.

[IndyCapt]

2 hours ago, marazul said:

No big hurry for October. A couple of months ahead of time.  Or as soon as all your plans are set for everything you want to do.

Thank you!

Besides the Vatican museums, what other must-see/must do sites would be recommended for first time visitor with 4 days available?…

[senorbanda]

 

On 4/30/2022 at 10:02 PM, IndyCapt said:

Thank you!

Besides the Vatican museums, what other must-see/must do sites would be recommended for first time visitor with 4 days available?…

The Colosseum, Pantheon and Borghese Galleria to name a few.🙂

[IndyCapt]

33 minutes ago, senorbanda said:

 

The Colosseum, Pantheon and Borghese Galleria to name a few.🙂

Thank you!

[marazul]

On 4/30/2022 at 11:02 PM, IndyCapt said:

Thank you!

Besides the Vatican museums, what other must-see/must do sites would be recommended for first time visitor with 4 days available?…

There is a lot to see in Rome.  You are smart to have planned for 4 days.  I would suggest getting a guide to the city, like the Insight or National Geographic series (I am not a fan of Rick Steves).  Also, look for cruisemom42's recommendations on this boards.  

 

Plan to spend one of your days outside Rome.  A trip to Tivoli and Villa Adriana would be great, or else to the Castelli Romani.

 

The Vatican is now offering its own train tours to Castelgandolfo on certain days.  The train leaves from the Roma San Pietro station.  https://tickets.museivaticani.va/home  I am not sure if it is just during the summer, but check it out.  

[frantic36]

Just be aware with the Pantheon on weekends now it is compulsory to book you can't just walk in and look like you can during week days. So if you just want to have a quick look plan to do so on a week day. Otherwise you can book an audio guide or tour for the weekend to go in.

 

https://www.pantheonroma.com/visit-the-pantheon/

 

If it comes up in Italian just go to the menu on top left, drop down, select language then you can select English.

[Baxter68]

Vatican museum tickets go on sale exactly 60 days before your desired date. For my desired day in June, the time slots were selling out immediately on opening up sell of tickets.  Don’t know that will be the case in October for you, just an fyi. 

[marazul]

6 hours ago, Baxter68 said:

Vatican museum tickets go on sale exactly 60 days before your desired date. For my desired day in June, the time slots were selling out immediately on opening up sell of tickets.  Don’t know that will be the case in October for you, just an fyi. 

Plain admission tickets are bookable 60 days in advance.

Most tickets that involve a guided tour are available many months in advance. I just checked October and they are all there.

 

The real problem is getting tickets to tour the Colosseum, especially the arena and underground tours.  They are available in the official website (www.coopculture.it) 30 days in advance.  However, there are "bots" that scoop up all the tickets the nanosecond they become available.  These tickets are then used by the many tour companies that sell tours for a much higher price.  There is a work around if you are willing.  The tours are also given in other languages and the bots tend to leave tickets available to the public. You can buy your tickets for the Italian or Spanish tours and if you don't speak either, there is a free app you can download and use during your tour.  I know. I booked my Spanish tours this morning. 😱

[biksgirl]

On 5/3/2022 at 9:15 AM, marazul said:

Plain admission tickets are bookable 60 days in advance.

Most tickets that involve a guided tour are available many months in advance. I just checked October and they are all there.

 

The real problem is getting tickets to tour the Colosseum, especially the arena and underground tours.  They are available in the official website (www.coopculture.it) 30 days in advance.  However, there are "bots" that scoop up all the tickets the nanosecond they become available.  These tickets are then used by the many tour companies that sell tours for a much higher price.  There is a work around if you are willing.  The tours are also given in other languages and the bots tend to leave tickets available to the public. You can buy your tickets for the Italian or Spanish tours and if you don't speak either, there is a free app you can download and use during your tour.  I know. I booked my Spanish tours this morning. 😱

Oh man!! I have a reminder set on my phone to book the colosseum tickets 30 days out,  but now it seems I'm going to have no hope of getting them. That really sucks!  I was hoping not to pay the crazy prices of the tour groups. 

 

 

[Carlos A.]

On 5/3/2022 at 8:15 AM, marazul said:

Plain admission tickets are bookable 60 days in advance.

Most tickets that involve a guided tour are available many months in advance. I just checked October and they are all there.

 

The real problem is getting tickets to tour the Colosseum, especially the arena and underground tours.  They are available in the official website (www.coopculture.it) 30 days in advance.  However, there are "bots" that scoop up all the tickets the nanosecond they become available.  These tickets are then used by the many tour companies that sell tours for a much higher price.  There is a work around if you are willing.  The tours are also given in other languages and the bots tend to leave tickets available to the public. You can buy your tickets for the Italian or Spanish tours and if you don't speak either, there is a free app you can download and use during your tour.  I know. I booked my Spanish tours this morning. 😱

 

It has been Impossible to get tickets to the Colosseum tour with the arena and underground tours. Even on Spanish or other languages. At what time they release the tickets?

I'm thinking I'll have to bite the bullet and purchase with a tour company. Any recommendation? 

[marazul]

2 hours ago, carlosalonsor said:

 

It has been Impossible to get tickets to the Colosseum tour with the arena and underground tours. Even on Spanish or other languages. At what time they release the tickets?

I'm thinking I'll have to bite the bullet and purchase with a tour company. Any recommendation? 

 

They release them at midnight (Italy time).  You need to be on the website exactly on time to have a chance.  Don't waste time trying for English.

Si tiene suerte lo consigue en español. 

[marazul]

The Domus Aurea is open again for tours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  All tickets are available (so far) on the coopcuture.it website.

https://www.coopculture.it/en/products/domus-aurea-experience/

Edited May 6, 2022 by marazul

[cruisemom42]

1 hour ago, marazul said:

The Domus Aurea is open again for tours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.  All tickets are available (so far) on the coopcuture.it website.

https://www.coopculture.it/en/products/domus-aurea-experience/

 

Really a fabulous site. Even for those not as interested in the ancient world, the extent and construction is amazing.

 

And when it was first rediscovered in the Renaissance, both Michelangelo and Raphael visited the site (having to be lowered down on ropes!) and were hugely influenced by the remaining frescoes.

 

The buried pleasure palace loved by Michelangelo and Raphael | art | Agenda | Phaidon

[Carlos A.]

On 5/6/2022 at 1:48 PM, marazul said:

 

They release them at midnight (Italy time).  You need to be on the website exactly on time to have a chance.  Don't waste time trying for English.

Si tiene suerte lo consigue en español. 

I've been watching the official page and they seem to be releasing tickets randomly and not at midnight (Italy time). 

If anyone have any clue at what time they release the Colosseum tickets please advice!

[marazul]

I have kept an eye on this and it does seem very random.  Mostly for the Spanish and Italian tours.

[Carlos A.]

16 minutes ago, marazul said:

I have kept an eye on this and it does seem very random.  Mostly for the Spanish and Italian tours.

Yes, same here, I'm aiming to get a couple of Spanish tour tickets, but it's getting complicated. 

[marazul]

50 minutes ago, carlosalonsor said:

Yes, same here, I'm aiming to get a couple of Spanish tour tickets, but it's getting complicated. 

They seem to release them closer to the current date.

Buena suerte. 

[carlmm]

In my experience it is worthwhile to check for the colosseum tickets very frequently. There always come up a few tickets here and there. Soemtimes even whole slots open up. When you see something that fits, grap it.